Cáceres, 30 July 2025 — The region of Las Hurdes (Cáceres) is experiencing one of the most serious forest fires of the summer: since 29 July, the flames have destroyed nearly 2,500 hectares, causing the evacuation of around 200 people and triggering level 2 of the Infoex Plan, with the deployment of the Military Emergency Unit (UME) and firefighting brigades.
In the face of this emergency, the experience gained by the European project LIFE LANDSCAPE FIRE – New methodologies for forest fire prevention is particularly relevant. Between 2019 and 2022, this project applied a pioneering strategy based on prescribed burning and controlled grazing in Sierra de Gata and Las Hurdes, significantly reducing forest fuel and increasing the resilience of the territory.
Main contributions of the LIFE LANDSCAPE FIRE project
- Development of prevention procedures in areas such as Las Hurdes and Sierra de San Pedro, together with Viseu do Lafões (Portugal), using techniques already validated in Andalusia and Catalonia.
- Implementation of pilot actions on more than 1,110 hectares, including grazing, controlled ignitions and training of more than 300 technicians and operators in preventive forest management.
- Direct contribution to key EU policies: Forest Strategy, circular economy, soil protection, biodiversity and the Habitats/Birds Directives.
Lessons applicable to the current fire in Las Hurdes
- Reduction of forest fuel: natural firebreaks (grazing areas and controlled burning) proved effective in preventing rapid spread in dry hills and dense woodlands.
- Training and decision-making: LIFE LANDSCAPE FIRE trained local agents to apply models adapted to the challenging terrain of Las Hurdes.
- Landscape resilience and biodiversity: the practices implemented improve the structure of the ecosystem, making it less vulnerable to intense fires.
Although the current fire was triggered by extreme weather conditions (winds of over 40 km/h, high temperatures, low humidity), the project results show that adequate preventive management could have reduced its impact on local populations and the agricultural-forestry area.
✅ Conclusion
The active fire in Las Hurdes highlights the urgency of implementing transformative preventive measures, such as those developed in the LIFE LANDSCAPE FIRE project. The combined use of prescribed burning, targeted silvopastoralism and adapted forest management is a robust approach to improving the resilience of the territory and protecting lives, resources and biodiversity.
More information about the project here.
